Terminator 0 Battle For All Time
by Michael2
Summary: A T800 terminator fights for the fate of a soldier in 1863COMPLETE
1. Terminator Arrival

April 14, 1863  
  
The horses sleep soundly in their pens in the wooden stable. For these animals, life consists of eating, drinking, carrying their masters around, or pullings things with their powerful muscles. None of them can know anything about the war that is currently tearing apart the nation.  
Or the war yet to come.  
The silence is interrupted by a screeching wind, blowing bits of straw and dust around. Then electrical spraks fly about the stable, searing the wood and even setting the hay on fire. The horses wake up and start braying at the sight of the electrical display. Then they see a bright flash of light.  
Then it is quiet again. In the center of the stable, a figure gets up. The figure has the appearance of a naked man. The naked man appears to be mostly muscle. He examines his surroundings, noting the horses and the burning hay. He identifies it as a stable. He sees in infrared, and can see the heat signatures for the horses and the fire. A display appears right behind the man's eyes as he checks his system status.  
  
CHECK STATUS  
  
CYBERDYNE SYSTEMS MODEL 101 SERIES 800  
  
ID 381146  
  
MODE READ-ONLY  
  
VISUAL SENSORS OK  
  
AUDIO SENSORS OK  
  
PRESURE SENSORS OK  
  
TEMPERATURE SENSOR OK  
  
SERVO MOTORS OK  
  
SPEAKER OK  
  
MISSION STATUS: INCOMPLETE  
  
He walks out of the stable and checks his surroundings. It is night, and the stars shine clearly upon the ground. He can see a wooden building. A slight breeze blows. The temperature is fifty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. Then he sees humans come out, armed with longarms. He examines their gray uniforms. Accessing the database, he identifies them as soldiers in the Army of Tennessee. "Are you all right?" asks one of the soldiers, looking at the naked man. "Who are you?" The soldier looks at the stable, which has caught fire from the electrical discharges. Then another man comes out, and the naked man looks at the rank insignia and identifies him as a lieutenant. Using his eyes, he measures his size.  
"It's cold out here," says the lieutenant. "We can get you some clothes."  
"Give me your clothes," says the naked man. "We don't have much here, but we can get you something to keep you from freezing to death."  
"Give me your clothes now."  
"Excuse me, but you could be more po..."  
The naked man then grabs the lieutenant's throat and squeezes hard. The vertebrae in his neck snap, and the lieutenant falls down, unable to move. Immedaitely the soldiers fire a hail of bullets at the naked man, who stumbles down. One of them runs to check on the lieutenant.  
But then the naked man gets up. He grabs the rifle from the soldier and hits him in the temple with enough force to break the skull. The soldiers fire pistol rounds at the naked man, but they do not stop him. He breaks the neck of another soldier. Shocked at what they see, the remaining soldiers get on horses and flee. The naked man examines the weapons. Accessing his database, he identifies a Richmond Armory percussion rifle-musket, a Richmond Armory carbine, and a J.H. Dance and Brothers revolver. He removes the lieutenant's clothing and places it on his body. No longer naked, the uniform fits, and the insignia will help him in his mission.  
He then goes into the building. It is a small building with two desks. This place must be an advance outpost for cavalry scouts. He sees a rectabgular piece of paper on the wall. Reading it, he identifies it as a map of Tennessee, made in 1861. With his uniform and weapons, he heads out to complete his mission.  
  
The gang of bandits sit in their cabin in foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Tennessee. They had just pulled off a robbery, stealing a bunch of gold ingots which now sitting on the floor. They all keep an eye out on each other, as it is too tempting to just take the gold and flee with it.  
Flashes of light outside startle the three men. "What the hell?" one of them asks. "Clem, check it out."  
Clem, a man with a scraggly black beard, opens the door and sees electrical sparks arcoing all over the place, some of them searin gthe wooden cabin. "There's lightning on the ground!" he yells.  
And then comes a bright flash of light. Clem and the other two bandits look around. They smell a strong odor, the kind that follows thunderstorms. And they see a tall, imposing, naked man. His muscles look as if he can lift a cannon.  
"Give me your clothes," the naked man says, looking at Clem straight in the eye.  
"Who me?" asks Clem.  
"Give me your clothes."  
The naked man grabs Clem's and squeezes real hard, and Clem screams out in pain. One of the bandits aim a J.H. Dance and Brothers revolver at the naked man. the naked man tries to grab the revolver, and the bandit opens fire. The naked man falls.  
And then gets back up to them and stares the bandit in the eye.  
Minutes later, the man that had appeared in a shower of electrical sparks is now dressed. He examines his inventory- a J.H. Dance and Brothers revolver, an Enfield rifle, plus the approrpaite ammunition. He walks out to complete his mission.  
  
"Everyone stand still," says the man in the tall black hat. He peers through the camera. "There! That should do it. Thank you for your time, gentlemen. This photograph will be published throughout the state."  
"You're welcome," says Sergeant Baker of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. "When can you have this published?"  
"In a few days. I'd best be going now." The photographer looks at his handwritten notes, making sure he has the name of the soldiers, as well as the location of the fort. He looks around the place. The buildings are all made of wood, as it was constructed in a few days' time. With the Yanks controlling half of the state of Tennessee, the Army of Tenneessee moved its troops to the eastern part and had to build new fortifications. Tents were erected to provide shelter for the soldiers, and a new building is being constructed. The flag of the Confederate States of America flies proudly from a flagpole. He goes into his darkroom, located inside a horse-drawn wagon, to begin devloping the film. Someday, people all across the Confederate States of America will see the soldiers and their faces. He wonders how many of them will live to see next month. "Okay you guys!" yells Sergeant Baker. "Now we can have breakfast."  
The soldiers all go to the mess tent to eat their morning meal, except for one, a corporal.  
"You're not coming?" asks the corporal.  
"I have a before-breakfast meeting with the major, Connor," says Baker.  
"At least he gets eggs and fresh meat. We get to have hard biscuits."  
"Well, you'd better eat before our boys finish it all."  
Corporal Luke Connor walks to the mess tent. The food server gives him the typical breakfast, which is a hard biscuit and dried beef. Not exactly the most appealing meal, it was barely enough to keep him alive, and far from the home-cooked breakfasts his mother prepared when he was a boy in Carthage. Today he is to supervise the privates in their duties.  
Life had settled into a routine for Luke and his unit, consisting of eating, sleeping, maintaining the camp, and training. It had been a month since the Battle of Milton, where five soldiers in his platoon were killed in action. He can not forget their names or their faces, and he never will. He still remembers the battle clearly. The Confederate forces under General Morgan has the Yanks surrounded, and the cannons kept firing. Late in the afternoon, Morgan called off the engagement when it was learned that Yank reinforcements were on the way. Since then, his unit had not seen combat. News spread fast thpough, and he had heard about the Battle of Franklin, which was just four days ago on Friday. Over one hundred Confederates were killed, and the Yanks were left in control of the area. After breakfast is done, the soldiers begin their work, from picking up trash to cleaning the rifles and muskets and cannons and doing inventory. And inventory is what Corporal Luke Connor is assigned to do. As he does inventory of the supplies, he notices a man in a gray uniform enter. he can tell the man is an officer, as soldiers salute the man as he walks in. He wonders what happened to the officer's horse, though. The man in the lieutenant's uniform walks to the building which serves as the headquarters of the officer in charge. He walks in, interrupting a staff meeting. He looks at each and every man, identifying their respective ranks. "Excuse me, Lieutenant," says the senior officer, a major. The lieutenant salutes. "Sir, I am from General Van Dorn's office," he says. "I have orders to bring Corporal Luke Connor with me."  
Major Harold Beckett looks at the lieutenant. He can not help but notice the strange accent of the lieutenant. He did not sound like a Southerner or even a Yank; the lieutenant sounded more like a German or a Russian.  
"Baker!" barks Beckett. "Get Corporal Connor here right now!"  
"Yes, sir," says Baker. He leaves the building. "Does General Van Dorn have any other business?" asks the major.  
"No, sir," replies the lieutenant. "I am simply to take Corporal Luke Connor with me."  
"Does he have any further orders for me?"  
"Not as this time."  
"Here he is, sir," says Sergeant Baker.  
The lieutenant looks at the young man ina Confederate uniform who was brought here. He has brown hair and eyes. A sideburn and moustache is on his face, making him appear slightly older than his twenty-one years.  
"This man came from General Van Dorn's office," says Major Beckett. "He has orders to bring you to him."  
Connor salutes the lieutenant. "Corporal Luke Connor, sir," he says.  
"Hello, Corporal," says the lieutenant as he returns his salute. "Are we leaving now, sir, or do you need supplies for your horse? I can get you."  
Luke sees the officer pull a revolver from his holster and point it square at his chest. Confused, he wonders what is going on.  
"Get down!" he hears someone yell.  
Luke turns and sees a man dressed in a hat and coat and pants. He notices that the man looks identical to the lieutenant who just visited here.  
And this man points a gun in his diurection.  
Luke gets down even as a shot is fired. He turns and sees the na's military twin fall from the impact of the bullet. The man then runs towards his twin and fires revolver rounds point blank. Some of the soldiers hear the commotion and get inside the building, aiming their Richmond Armory carbines at the civilian visitor.  
The strange man grabs Luke's hand. "Come with me if you want to live!" he says.  
Then his twin dressed in the Army uniform gets up, to the astonishment of Luke, Sergeant Baker, Major Beckett, and the soldiers who responded to the shots fired. The lieutenant aims his revolver at Connor and opens fire.  
His twin manages to take the bullet, and he falls. The major and his men all aim their rifles at the lieutenant. "Secure these twins!" yells Beckett.  
The lieutenant responds by shooting Beckett in the forehead. His shot is answered by a hail of carbine fire. He gets up and then fires the remaining bullets in his revolver at the soldiers. Luke can see this is no ordinary situation, and he runs with the man who told him to come with him if he wants to live. This strange man is actually pulling him as he runs, and Luke can barely keep balance. The man in the ;lieutenant's uniform aims the Richmond Armory rifle-musket at his target. He squeezes the trigger and fires, but his twin catches the bullet. He takes the carbine and aims it. But his twin opens fire with the Enfield rifle, and the bullet knocks the carbine from his hand.  
"Get on the horse!" yells the strange man. Luke gets onto a brown stallion which is tied to a post, and then rides off. He then notices the strange man, who appears to be his protector, running along side him. His twin sees Connor on a horse galloping away. He runs after them with his rifle in hand.  
then he is knocked down by a hail of bullets. He looks up and sees cavalrymen charging at him with their sabers drawn. He stasnds his groiund and then knocks one of the soldiers off his horse. He then takes the saber and faces the other soldiers, slashing them, casuing blood to spurt out. One by one, he continues thrusting the saber into the soldiers even as they fire pistol and revolver rounds into him. Once the soldiers realize that their enemy is bulletproof, they flee. The man in the lieutenant's uniform looks around. Connor had escaped. He decides to run off.  
  
Corporal Luke Connor is now riding in the woods, off the beaten path like his protector had told him. "He won't spot us here," says his protector.  
"What is going on?" asks the corporal. "I mean, you and he took several bullets and stand like no one was hurt."  
"Only our organic systems were damaged. Our combat chasses are designed to withstand small-arms fire."  
"I guess he's trying to kill me."  
"Yes."  
Luke looks around the woods, and sees the bright green leaves that revealed themselves for the springtime. He can hear the chirping sounds of small animals. "What is going on?"  
"You have been targeted for termination."  
"The Yanks sent someone to kill me? A mere corporal? Why not send someone to kill General Lee? Or Jefferson Davis?"  
"The Yanks did not send him," says his protector. "Skynet did."  
"Who's Skynet?"  
"Skynet is a computer network that controls machines. Its goal is to exterminate all humans."  
"What?" asks Luke, having no idea what his protector was talking about. "Skynet sent the terminator here to kill you."  
"Terminator?"  
"It is an automated infantry combat unit. Cyberdyne Systems Model 101, Series 800. This terminator is a cyborg-cybernetic organism. On the outside is human flesh, skin, muscle tissue, organs. Underneath is a heavily armored endoskeleton, impervious to small arms fire, microprocessor controlled with a holographic memory core that has a capacity of four thousand ninety six terabytes."  
"Huh?"  
"It is a machine. Like me."  
Luke gets off the horse. "Since when can we build such things?"  
"The first 800 series were built on January 31, 2025."  
Luke notices the terminator's mention of the year. "That's in the future."  
"Yes."  
"So you came from the future."  
"Yes, we both came from July 11, 2029. I was sent here by the Resistance to protect you."  
"Why was it sent to kill me?"  
"On July 24, 2004, the United States Air Force activated the Skynet Battlefield Management System. It was designed to control automated combat units. But it was flawed, and decided that the best way to protect the nation was to exterminate all humans. The machiens rose and began their war. One man turned it around. He led the effort to survive and regroup and then strike back against Skynet. His name was John Connor. He is your great-great-great grandson."  
"And by killing me, John won't exist."  
"That is what Skynet calculated. Skynet was shattered; its machines and computers could no longer communicate with each other. But it had a time displacement unit. It sent three terminators to three different time peroids. One terminator was sent to 1995 to terminate John Connor. Another one was sent to 1984 to terminate his mother. And the one you saw was sent here to 1863 to terminate you."  
"And you came to 1863 via this time displacement unit?"  
"Yes. Yuma Base was captured in the early morning hours of July 11. The Resistance soldiers came in just as the terminator went through. They brought me from Crystal Peak and sent me here."  
"So John has terminators on his side."  
"Yes."  
"Did Connor build you? Or steal you from a factory or something?" "I was built in the Cyberdyne factory in Yuma, Arizona. I was originally an enemy of Connor. But on my last mission for Skynet, I was buried in a cave-in. The Resistance recovered me and studied my programming. I was eventaully reactivated and I fgind myself on this mission to protect you."  
"So who operates Skynet?"  
"Skynet operates itself. In the future, there are machines which can operate on their own without any further input once they are turned on."  
"Oh. Since I have descendants, do you know who the mother of my children are?"  
"Yes, I do, and my programming does not allow me to reveal to you her name or the names of your future descendants except John Connor."  
"Come on. John can't be born if I can't find the woman whom I'll marry."  
"Speech can not alter my programming, only if I have a network connection to a computer with the appropriate software can I be reprogrammed."  
"Oh," says Luke, the meaning of the words going right above his head. The terminator removes his coat and shirt, revealing the bullet wounds. "I need you to remove the bullets," he says, hanbding Luke a knife.  
"It's gonna hurt a bit."  
"I am a cyborg; I do not feel pain."  
And so Luke cuts the skin at the wounds and uses the knife to dig out the bullets. He notices the bullets are deformed, as if they struck a hard surface. "do you need field dressing?"  
"No. We had better continue riding."  
"Where?"  
"As far away from here as we can."  
Luke gets on the horse. "Get on top."  
"I weigh three hundred fifty pounds," replies the terminator. " I will only slow down the horse. I can run at a top speed of twenty-seven miles per hour."  
  
For the next few hours, Luke Connor rides through the rural landscape of Tennessee, with the terminator walking next to him. He notices the clouds in the sky. As he rides, he ponders this war far in the future, which his descendant will lead against the machines that turned against their builders. "By the way, since you are from the future, tell me how the War of Northern Aggression ends," says Luke, wanting to focus ojn the present.  
"The last Confederate troops surrender on May 26, 1865," replies the terminator.  
"So the Yanks win."  
"Yes."  
Luke hears the galloping of horses. He turns around, and sees three soldiers bearing rifles.  
And they wear the blue uniform of the United States Army. "Shit," he mutters. 


	2. Breakout!

April 14, 1863  
  
"Well, well, look what we got here," says a Federal sergeant on horseback, aiming his Springfield Armory rifle-musket at Corporal Luke Connor. "A Rebel scout intruding into our territory."  
"This ain't your state," replies Luke. "You don't belong in Tennessee."  
"Tennessee is part of the Union, boy. You people are wagin' an illegal rebellion against the United States of America."  
"I suggest you surrender," says the terminator. "You are presently unarmed and they are armed with Springfield Armory rifle-muskets and Colt Army revolvers."  
"And who is this?" asks the Federal sergeant. He looks at the terminator. "Someone out of uniform, carryin' a rifle. Why, that must mean he's a spy! A Rebel spy! We just caught ourselves a Rebel spy, men! If you surrender, we may spare your life."  
The terminaotr drops the Enfield rifle. "I surrender."  
"Tie them up!" yells the sergeant.  
One of the soldiers comes to tie Luke's hands together. He pushes the soldier away.  
"Get your dirty paws off me, Sambo!" he yells.  
Luke is answered with a rifle butt to the face. "Who you callin' Sambo, Reb?" says the soldier.  
In less than a minute, Luke's hands are tied. "Why are you surrendering?" asks Luke. "You're bulletproof. You can take them."  
"My fight is not with them. If they do not make any attempt to kill you, I will not attack."  
Then the three Federal soldiers lead Luke and his guardian away towards the west.  
  
It is sunset by the time Corporal Luke Connor reaches his destination. He can see a high wooden wall with towers on each corner. The three soldiers drop them off, and soldiers from the facility tkae Luke and the terminator in. Luke looks around and sees a brick building and several wooden buildings. He hears the whinnying of horses and the barking of dogs and men yelling orders. This is a camp for Confederate prisoners. They are brought into the brick building, which serves as the headquarters of the prison camp. They are then put inside a room. "Now what?" asks Luke.  
"We wait," replies the terminator. "You will be safe here. Trust me."  
The wooden door opens, and a soldier comes in. "Here is your food and water," he says. He gives them hard biscuits and two tin cups fileld his water.  
"At least you get two biscuits," says the terminator.  
"Yeah, I'm real happy about that."  
"You should eat. You need to keep up your strength."  
Luke proceeds to eat the biscuits and wash them down his water. The biscuits were stale and hard, and his mouth still felt dry even after drinking two cups of warm water. He still remembers his mama's homemade cooking- fresh meat, vegetables, and eggs. Fresh food has been in short supply since the war started. In fact, it seems almost a lifetime ago. Now here he is in a Yankee prison camp, with a machine that was sent from the future to protect him. Then the door opens, and the same soldier who gave them the biscuits. "You," he says to Luke. "We want to ask you some questions."  
"Who me?" asks Luke.  
"Yes." The soldier takes Luke out and drags him to the room across the hall. This room has a wooden table and two chairs and an oil lamp. And a Federal soldier sits at the table. Luke could tell that the man is an officer. The officer has a sword in his sheath and a Colt Army revolver in his holster. "I am Lieutenant Charles Reese of the United States Army," says the officer. "What is your name?"  
"I am Corporal Luke Connor of the Army of Tennessee," says Luke. "I'm from Carthage."  
"Tell me what you were doing?"  
"Just trying to get away, I guess."  
"A deserter?" asks Reese. "Well, there be a lot of deserters coming over to us to surrender. I guess they heard the news about Franklin. What I want to know is who was that guy that was travelin' with you? Was he a spy?"  
"I just met him this morning."  
"Was he a spy, Reb?"  
"He's not a Confederate."  
"What was his mission?"  
"To protect me?"  
"Protect you?" says Reese as he paces around the small room. He then slams Connor's face into the table and places the barrel of the Colt revolver at his temple. "Let me say this, Reb. You already lost and you know it." He lets Luke get up. "Private!" A soldier enters the room. "Put him with the other prisoners."  
"Yes, sir!" snaps the soldier. The soldier leaves, and then comes back. "Get his companion here," says the lieutenant.  
"Yes, sir."  
Less than a minute later, Luke's companion is brought in. Reese can tell that he is dressed like a civilian. He is tall and heavy. "Have a seat," says Reese.  
The terminator sits down.  
"I am Lieutenant Charles Reese of the United States Army," he says. "What is your name?"  
"I am a Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 Series 800," says the terminator. "My ID is 381146."  
"What kind of answer is that?"  
"I gave you my identification number."  
"So, what were you doing?"  
"My mission is to ensure the survival of Luke Connor."  
"Who sent you on this mission?"  
"I was sent here by General John Connor of the United States Army."  
"Never heard of him."  
"That is because he will not be born for another one hundred twenty-two years."  
"What?"  
"I came from one hundred sixty-six years in the future."  
Lieutenant Reese stares straight into the prisoner's eyes, never having heard such a story before. "Why were you sent to protect someone in the past? Here in 1863?"  
"Skynet had sent a T-800 to this day to terminate Luke Connor. Luke Connor was the earliest ancestor that Skynet could locate. We captured the facility where the time displacement unit was located, and I was sent to intercept the terminator in 1863."  
"Well, since you are from the future, tell me one thing. When does this war between the states end?"  
"The last Confederate troops surrender on May 26, 1865."  
"Okay, so you came from the future to protect Luke Connor. I'm sure they have invented better weapons in the future, like a rifle that reloads ammunition whenever it's fired."  
"Time displacement is generated when the bioelectric field interacts with the time displacement unit's event horizon. You go through naked. I had to be wrapped in living tissue- skin, muscle, internal organs-before going back in time."  
"So what are you underneath the skin?"  
"I am a metal endoskeleton, imperviosu to small arms fire, microprocessor controlled."  
"Impervisou to bullets? Like the ones from the Colt?"  
"Precisely."  
Reese takes out his Colt Army revolver. "I think that you're just lying your ass off. You are a spy, and I have never heard a more sillier cover story than that. But since you claim to be bulletproof, I'm gonna test it out." He places the muzzle of the Colt against the terminator's left temple. He pulls the hammer back.  
And then pulls the trigger.  
The hammer strikes the primer, which deontates the gunpowder. The explosion propels the bullet, and the recoil pushes Reese back a bit.  
The terminator stands up, and Lieutenant Reese drops his revolver as he sees someone appearing to be a man get up after a revolver bullet is fired into his head. He looks and sees the shiny silvery surface of the terminator's skull. "I want to see Luke Connor," says the terminator.  
  
The terminator is escorted by Federal soldiers to one of the wooden buildings used to house the Confederate prisoners. He scans the inside. It is a one-room structure with a dirt floor and several beds, with no lighting or heating. There are more people here than beds. He scans the faces of the prisoners until he finds Luke Connor.  
"Are you injured?" asks the terminator.  
"No," replies Luke. "I'm doing just fine."  
"You will be safe here, Luke."  
"Who're you?" asks one of the prisoners.  
"I am a Cyberdyne Systems Model 101, Series 800, ID 381146."  
"Whatever." the prisoner goes back to sleep on the dirt floor.  
  
April 15, 1863  
  
Corporal Luke Connor wakes up on the floor. He looks around and sees some of the prisoners awake, and other are asleep. The terminator stands silently, watching for any threat.  
"Did you get any sleep?" asks Luke.  
"I do not sleep," says the terminator. "My power cells will allow me to function for another one hundred years. All of my mechanical and electrical systems are operating at peak efficiency."  
"Well, I'm feeling well too."  
Luke hears a bell ring. "Looks like it's breakfast," says one of the Confederate prisoners.  
They all go out into the courtyard where some of the Federal soldiers have gathered. They are all given their breakfast, which is-surprise-hard biscuits.  
The terminator gives his biscuit to Luke. Luke looks around and sees some of the other prisoners. He decide to break pieces from the extra biscuit and give it to his fellow soldiers. "Okay, people," says Sergeant Tucker to the prisoners. Everybody line up."  
"What is going on?" asksk Luke.  
"You are all here to pose for a photograph."  
Luke sees a bald man wearing a round hat, a rbown coat, and brown pants. He carries a camera on his tripod. "Okay, y'all," says a the photographer. "This here is a camera. It takes your picture so your likeness can be printed on a piece o' paper."  
The Confederate prisoners all pose.  
"There," says the photographer. "That should do it." He then returns to his wagon to develop the film.  
  
Lieutenant Charles Reese goes back into his office after having breakfast. Unlike the prisoners and the enlisted men, he and the other officers get to have eggs and fruit. He looks at the Confederate soldiers who had surrendered and now stay here, being fed and c lothed and housed. Some of the prisoners had been here since Fort Henry was taken the year before. He turns towards Sergeant Tucker, the senior enlisted soldier assigned to this prison camp.  
"How are the prisoners?" asks the lieutenant.  
"They seem to be okay, sir," replies Tucker. "At least physically," says Reese. "Although the guy we caught out of uniform seems to be a bit crazy. He thinks he's a machine."  
"Maybe it's from malnutrition. We're not that well-supplied. Some of us don't even have shoes."  
"Well, I just can't wait to this war is over. There's this pretty lady back home in Pennsylvania whom I'd love to make my wife."  
"Does she know you love her?"  
"Well, I haven't exactly had the time to do that, what with this war and all."  
"The war is for a good cause, you know. You did praise the Emancipation Proclamation this year. And you did call slavery an abomination."  
"Which it is," says the lieutenant. "Still, we need to find a homeland for these people. I mean, do you really want your kids to go to school with little nigger kids?"  
  
The terminator looks at his surroundings. The temperature is sixty-seven degrees Fahrenheit. It is about high noon. He is on a dirt road about thirty miles east of Nashville, Tennessee. He had been walking around looking for clues where Luke Connor had went. He had lost their trail. and he saw the othet terminator. He calculates that the humans took control of Yuma Base and sent one of their terminators to 1863 to intercept him. Skynet had uploaded thousands of files about the Civil War into his memory core before sending him to 1863. He had acquired Connor back at the Confederate fort, but failed to terminate. He knows where to acquire his target. Using his microprocessor, he calculates the best plan to intercept and terminate Luke Connor.  
  
there is not much to do in the Federal prison camp except maybe do some pushup and talk to the other prisoners. The arrival of two prisoners gave new conversation opportunities to the prisoners already here. And their conversation with one of the prisoners is real interesting.  
"So yer from the future?" asks one of the Confederate prisoners.  
"Affirmative," replies the terminator. "I came from July 11, 2029."  
"And I suppose you rode a magical black stallion that can gallop to the past," says another prisoner.  
"I went through a time displacement unit," says the terminator. "It is a barrel-shaped device.It creates an event horizon which interacts with a bioelectric field to create temporal transit."  
"You sound like Benjamin Franklin," says a prisoner. "So what's it like in the future?' asks Luke.  
"I am activated only when I am due for a performance reviewor assigned on a mission. The rest of the time I am kept in storage."  
"So you're metal underneath?" asks a prisoner. "And bullets don't kill you?"  
"Yes, I have a metal endoskeleton which provides motor function. My human flesh was attached so I can blend in wqith the human population."  
"Well, you certainly don't blend in with that German accent of yours."  
"Do you like this accent better?"  
The prisoner is startled that the terminator spoke in a flawless Southern accent in a voice just like his. "You know, maybe after you are done protectin' Luke here, you can go terminate Abraham Lincoln."  
"President Abraham Lincoln is terminated on April 14, 1865."  
"Well, there's somethin' to look forward to."  
"So, what about you?" asks Luke. "What;s your story?"  
"Name's Tom Riker," says the prisoner. "Lieutenant Tom Riker."  
"Pleasre to meet you, sir."  
"Well, we're prisoners here now. Anyway, I grew up in Memphis, I got married and have a little girl. I was a survivor of Fort Henry."  
"Does your wife know?" asks Luke.  
"I think so. I heard that the Yanks were negotiatin' prisoner exchanges with us. Maybe my wife got the message. You married, Connor?"  
"No, sir. Although from what the terminator told me, I will be married someday."  
"That is correct," says the terminator. "And his great-great-great-grandson leads a war for human survival and wins."  
"So what is the future like?" asks Luke Connor. "For humans, I mean."  
"There is new hope," replies the terminator. "Humans have started to rebuild civilization in portions of America that were liberated from Skynet's forces. It is expected that ninety-nine percent of the country will be liberated by September of 2029."  
"But that won't happen of I get killed before getting married and having kids."  
"That is correct."  
"Where did you grow up?" asks Riker.  
"In Carthage," replies Luke. "My dad was a tobacco farmer and was in the militia. I joined the militia and then when the war started, I was called up. One thing led to another, and I'm here."  
"Is there anyone special waiting back home?"  
"Only my parents. There ain't no girl waitin' for me back home."  
  
Luke sleeps soundly after having a hard biscuit for dinner. He had septn the day listening to stories from his fellow prisoners, and talking about the terminator. Suddenly he wakes up. He looks and sees the terminator.  
"He will be here in a few minutes," says the terminator.  
"The one who's trying to kill me?" asks Luke.  
"Yes. Trust me."  
Connor stands up and sees the terminator go out.  
"I'll be back," he says. The terminator goes out into the courtyard, past curfew. Predicably, the Federal soldiers come to confront him.  
"Get back in that shack, Reb," says one of the soldiers. The terminator keeps moving forward.  
the soldier fires a shot with his Springfield Armory rifle-musket. the bullet simply grazes the cyborg's side. He grabs the barrel of the rifle and snatches it. He then punches the soldier and starts running even as shots are fired in his direction.  
  
Lieutenant Colonel Judah Levinstein is having a roast chicken dinner with the outher four officers under his command in the prison camp. The officers' dinner is interrupted by the sound of gunshots.  
"Let's check this out," he says. He and the other officers leave the officers' mess to check things out.  
They see one of the prisoners in the hallway carrying a rifle. "Now you drop that weapon," says Colonel Levinstein, holding his saber. The prisoner keeps walking forward.  
"Surrender now!" yells the colonel.  
The prisoner keeps walking, so Levinstein thrusts the saber into him. The prisoner just knocks Levinstein away. More soldiers run in armed with sabers and Colt Army revolvers. They fire shots at the terminator.  
"Get him!" yells Levinstein.  
  
The terminator - assigned to terminate Luke Connor- arrives at the United States Army prison camp. His audio sensors indicate that some sort of ruckus is going on inside. He figures his counterpart is staging an escape. He goes to the front gate of the prison camp. Using his servo-motor induced strenght, he pushes down the gates. He clamly enters the courtyard of the prison camp. Some of the soldiers come to repel the intruder. He responds by shooting one of them square in the chest with a bullet from a Richmond Armory rifle-musket. He then shoots the other soldiers with his J.H. Dance and Brothers revolver. He looks around for Connor or his twin.  
He sees more soldiers coming out to meet him. He grabs the Colt Army revolvers from the bodies of the fallen Federal soldiers and opens fire at the remaining soldiers. He looks and sees the wooden buildings and calculates that Luke Connor must be in one of those buildings.  
  
Luke sees the terminator come back.  
"He's here," says the cyborg. "We'd better get to the stable, grab a horse for you, and escape."  
Luke can hear gunshots. Peering through the open door, he can see the Federal soldiers do battle with a figure. "This way," says the terminator. He runs right through the wooden wall, making a man-sized hole. Luke follows his guardian. He runs through the spaces between the wooden buildings used to house prisoners. He can see wooden building with large doors. He sprints towards the stable, relying on the terminator to cover for him. suddenly he feels something sharp at his throat. He sees Lieutenant Reese standing in front of him, holding a saber to his throat.  
"Well, well," says Lieutenant Reese. "I guess you Rebs thought you can send someone here to rescue you."  
"I have no quarrel with you," Luke says to the Federal lieutenant.  
"I ain't gonna let you escape alive. You will die right now."  
Suddnely, Reese falls back. Luke looks and sees the terminator, his fist clenched. Luke bends down and grabs Reese's revolver and saber. He looks at the unconscious Federal Army officer, and then at the saber. He prepares to stab the lieutenant through the heart.  
"Get away!" yells the terminator. "He's here."  
Luke turns and sees his guardian's twin arrive, sporting a rifle. He immediately runs for the stable. He hears gunshots. He falls, and then gets back up again. Hre rushes inside the stable. He sees the horses all in their pens. He also sees where the saddles and reins are located. He grabs a leather saddle and a bridle and bit. He sees the same horse he was riding when he was captured. He fastens the saddle and bridle, making sure all the straps are secure.  
"Okay," he says to the horse. "Let's ride."  
The horse carries Luke and walks to the stable entrance. Luke sees the Confederate prisoners making a run for it due to the commotion from the two terminators. He wonders if Tom Riker would make it back to his wife and daughter. He kicks the side of the horse gently, and the horse gallops toweards the open gates of the prison.  
  
Wrestling with his other self, the terminator sees Luke ride away on a horse. He delivers powerful punches into his opponet's face, powerful enough to shatter a human jaw. His twin manages to deliver a few counter punches. The two terminators roll around in the dirt. The terminator grabs the Colt Army revolver he acquired from the guards of the prison camp. He fires it at his twin in point blank range. He then carries his twin and runs towards the brick building. Soon, part of the brick wall collapses, and the two of them are in one of the interior rooms. They continue wrestling, rolling around.  
  
Luke is now riding in the woods after an escape from the Federal prison camp. He wonders what to do next. He gets off the horse, and walks off. He feels weak all of a sudden. He sits down and lays against an oak tree.  
  
The battle between the terminators continues. They continue wrestling, as the terminator does his best to keep his twin from getting away. His twin has noticed that the terminator anticipates his every move. Suddenly, the terminator has his twin face down. he gets up, and then slams on his counterparts neck with every ounce of force he can muster. He looks and does an electromagnetic scan. His twin had suffered serious damage. He then leaves to loom for Luke Connor. Just as he leaves, he can hear the galloping of horses. Apparently, someone from the priosn camp rode away to get reinforcement, and the reinforcements are here. The terminator looks at the ground, going to ultravision mode to look at the tracks. He can see recently made hoofprints on the dirt. He follows the hoofprints.  
  
Cavalry soldiers arrive at the prison camp and see the damage and the carnage. Apparently, from what they were told, a single Confederate soldier had attacked the base, killing some of the guards and facilitating the escape of over forty Confederate prisoners. They walk inside the headquarters building. apparently something had busted through the brick wall. "Captain, look!" yells one of the soldiers.  
The cavalry captain looks and sees a man on the ground, dressed in the gray uniform of the Confederate soldier.  
"He doesn;t seem to be alive, sir," says another soldier.  
Suddenyl, the man in the Confederate uniform gets up. "Sweet Jesus," says the captain.  
the other soldiers have similar expressions or just keep quiet, for the man's head is dangling from his body. He lifts his head and re-adjusts it, making suire the joints are secure.  
None of the soldiers do anything as the man walks. They see him pikc up a rifle from one of the fallen soldiers, and then they see him run away.  
  
The terminator is walking in the forest not far from the prison camp, following the hoofpints. Using infrared, he looks for the heat signatures. He sees the heat signature of a horse and a human. He walks over there. Using visual scanning, he can see the horse that Luke had ridden earlier. And he sees Luke, who appears to be resting against the trunk of an oak tree. "Are you all right?' asks the terminator.  
Luke does not respond. The terminator examines Luke and finds a bright red spot on his back.  
No further examination is needed to conclude that Luke Connor had been wounded. 


	3. Wounded

April 15, 1863  
  
The terminator immediately takes out a clean cloth and presses it against the wound. He calculates the most immediate danger is from blood loss. He presses quite hard to constrict the flow of blood in the area. He has detailed files on human anatomy and knowledge to provide emergency medical care. He then ties a cloth around Luke's shoulder, formaing a bandage. "What happened?" asks the Confederate soldier.  
"You have been wounded," says the terminator. "I managed to stop the bleeding. You will need further medical care."  
"You mean go to a hospital. There must be a field hospital somewhere around here."  
"My counterpart calculated that you will find refuge in a Confederate base. I will try to find a place for you. You will live."  
The terminator carries Luke with his arms and holds the reins of the brown stallion. He leads the horse as he carries Luke.  
  
As the terminator carries Corporal Luke Connor to a safe location, his twin enters the back room of a general store in a small town a few miles west of Knoxville. A hardware check indicates that his left sensor eye is inoperative; the revolver round did pretty serious damage. He takes a small knife and puts it to his face. He cuts away the human eye. He looks in the mirror. With his good eye he can see that the left visual sensor had been shattered.  
Using the night vision in his good eye, he looks for something. Then he finds it; it is a piece of cloth. He ties it aorund his head.  
He looks in the mirror. A patch covers his left eye. He now goes searching for his target.  
  
The terminator walks along the dirt road. The only light is from the stars above. He has an internal magnetic compass which allows him to calculate the direction he is going. In the distance he sees a light. It is still too far for his visual sensors to make out the structure, even at maximum magnification. He walks for a closer look. Then he identifies the structure. It is a two-story house. He calculates the distance to be at five hundred yards- nearly half a mile. He continues walking, carrying Luke and pulling the horse. Within minutes, he reaches the house. He notices it is located in a farm. He walks on to the property. he puts Luke down and then ties the horse to a wooden post. He then carries the wounded soldier to the front door and knocks. The door opens, and a woman answers the door.  
"What happened?" asks the woman, dressed in a maid's outfit.  
"This man is wounded and he needs medical attention," says the cyborg.  
"I had better go get Miss Celeste."  
The terminator enters the room and examines his surroundings. The room is lit will a few oil lamps. A soft carpet covers the floor. There are several chairs and a varnished wooden table. "What happened?" asks a female voice which definitely did not come from the maid.  
The terminator sees a tall woman with red hair tied in a bun, wearing a simple gown. Her skin relfects the light from the oil lamps. "This man is wounded," he says. "He needs medical attention."  
"You can take him into one of the bedrooms," she says.  
The red-haired woman leads them into one of the bedrooms. It is simple, with a bed and a dresser and a closet. "What happened to him?" asks the woman.  
"He was shot in the back of the shoulder while escaping from a prison camp," says the terminator. "I must now perform surgery to remove the bullet."  
"You're a surgeon?"  
"I have detailed files in my memory core on various surgical procedures. I need a clean piece of cloth."  
The woman did not question his technical terms. "Okay." she leaves the room, and returns with an lit oil lamp and some cloths.  
"You are going to need some light," she says.  
"Get a knife and some tweezers."  
The woman leaves, and then returns with the requested items. The terminator then places the blade of the knife into the flames.  
"What are you doin'?" she asks.  
"I am sterilizing these instruments," says the terminator. "Infection is a leading cause of death among soldiers in the American Civil War. By heating these, I can kill any microorganisms and increase his chances of survival."  
"Where did you go to medical school?"  
"I never went to medical school. All of the medical data was uploaded into my memory core."  
The terminator finishes sterlizing the knife and the tweezers. He then removes Luke's shirt. The woman can see Luke's upper body. The young man certainly has done much physical labor. She can also see the wound.  
She watches as this mysterious stranger who showed up on her doorstep at this evening starts cutting the skin around the wound. She notices his hands are very steady; she would probably tremble at the sight of blood. The terminator uses the knife to cut away the tissue. Using his optical scanners, he can see the bullet. With the utmost care, he slowly a bullet that was lodged in Luke's shoulder.  
"I need sutures," he says.  
"What?" asks the young woman.  
"I need a thread and needle."  
"I'm sure Sadie knows where they are."  
And so the terminator waits for a minute, then Sadie the maid enters the bedroom. The cyborg proceeds to sterilize the needle in the oil lamp flame. After the sterilization is complete, he threads the needle and proceeds to stitch the incisions together. Finally, he applies the gauze and bandages. "It is done," he says. "Is he going to be all right?" asks the red-haired woman.  
"I calculated a seventy percent probability that he will survive."  
"You have a funny way of talking," says the woman. "Are you from Europe or something?"  
"I am from Arizona."  
"Never heard of it. You do stick out with that accent of yours."  
"Do you like this accent better?" asks the terminator.  
The woman is astonished. This strange man spoke to her in an exact mimicry of her voice. "How did you do that?"  
"I can copy and alter any human voice I hear," he says in his normal, German-accented voice. "So, what's your story?"  
"My mission is to ensure the survival of Luke Connor."  
"So that's his name."  
"Yes."  
"I'm Celeste. Celeste Hawkins. What is your name?"  
"I am designated 381146."  
Cleste looks at the sleeping soldier and then at his protector. "So you can't tell me your name."  
"That is my name."  
"What is the deal with protecting him?"  
"According to my mission briefing, Skynet sent a terminator back to 1863 to terminate Luke Connor. I was sent to intercept and protect Luke Connor. Data about this time was uploaded into my memory core a few hours before my deployment. The terminator sent to terminate Luke Connor is identical to me."  
"Are you some sort of Confederate spy?" asks Celeste.  
"No, I am an automated infantry combat unit assigned to TechCom."  
"What's TechCom?"  
"An international military command whose mission is to destroy Skynet's ability to wage war."  
"I guess this has nothing to do with this War of Northern Aggression."  
"Precisely. The very survival of humanity is at stake with this mission."  
"Well, okay. I'd better go get some sleep."  
"I will watch over him."  
"Maybe we should watch over him in shifts. You need to get some sleep."  
"Wrong. I do not need to sleep and I do not need to recharge my power cells anytime soon."  
Celeste yawns. "Well, I have to sleep." She leaves the room.  
The terminator looks at Luke Connor, who is sleeping in the bed. He stands still, keeping an eye out for any enemies.  
  
April 16, 1863  
  
Fire burns, consuming the buildings. People flee in panic. Shots are fired. Through the smoke, the enemy can be seen. Steel skeletons, loading and firing their rifles. Cannons, apparenmtly firing cannonballs by themselves, provide support. Steam comes out of the nostrils of the skeletons and the breeches of the cannons. Some soldiers fire at the mechanical skeletons, but the bullets just bounce off them. The skeletons get cvloser and closer. The soldiers thrust bayonets into them, but the blade just snaps off. The skeletons emit huge steam clouds; the fires in their eyes blazing.  
Then Luke Connor wakes up in a unfamiliar place. "You're awake," says a female voice.  
Luke looks and sees a red-haired woman with freckles on her face. He feels himself on a soft surface, and figures he is lying down on a bed. He looks and sees the white plaster walls.  
"Where am I?" he asks.  
"You're at my family farm," the woman says. "My name is Celeste."  
"Did you see a tall man with short brown hair carry me here? Speaking with a foreign accent?"  
"Yes. He had to perform surgery on you. He was a rather strange fellow, although he did save your life."  
"The past few days have been strange." Luke reaches forward with his right arm, and waves of pain travel up his arm. "Ah," he says. "Uh, where is he now?"  
"He went outside to feed and water your horse," replies Celeste. Luke wiggles the fingers of his right hand. It still sends pain up his arm. He swings his legs to the carpet and stands up and looks out of the window. It is a cloudy day, with gray clouds concealing the blue sky. "You should sit down," Luke hears the terminator say.  
Luke sees the terminator holding a plate with something yellow on it. "What's that?"  
"It is breakfast," says the terminator. "Scrambled eggs."  
Luke lies down on the bed and the terminator places the plate on his lap. Using his good hand, he takes the pieces of scrambled eggs and eats everfy piece. It has been such a long time since he had fresh food. In two minutes, Luke finishes the scrambled eggs.  
The terminator returns with a tin cup. "Here is some water."  
LUke takes a sip. "It's a bit warm."  
"I boiled it to kill any microorganisms," replies the cyborg. "You can cook too."  
"Files on preparation of food are included in my memory core. You should get some rest, Luke Connor. Your chances of survival will increase as your shoulder heals."  
The terminator then leaves the bedroom.  
"He said his mission was to protect you," says Celeste. "Yeah," says Luke. 'From what he told me, he is a machine wrapped in human flesh. He came from the future to protect me from another one like him who wants to kill me."  
"Why would someone come from the future to kill you?"  
"Apparently, in the future machines are built that can operate themselves. They wage war on humans. One of my descendants leads the war against the machines. I guess by killing me, the machines figured out they can erase his existence."  
"Interesting," says Celeste. "Well, I guess you'd better get some rest." She leaves the bedroom, while Luke lies down in bed.  
  
Celeste walks around her family's farm to look for the stranger that brought Luke here. She finally finds him in the brick building that is used for gunsmithing.  
"Uh, hi there," she says to the cyborg.  
"How is Luke Connor?" asks the terminator.  
"He's resting up right now."  
"Good," says the terminator, holding a Springfield Armory rifle-musket. "He will need it."  
"Is it true? That you are a machine?"  
"Yes. I am a terminator, Cyberdyne Systems Model 101, Series 800, automated infantry unit. I am a cyborg- cybernetic organism. On the outside I am composed of human flesh- skin, muscle, nerves. On the inside I have a mechanical endoskeleton impervious to small arms fire, powered by fuel cells, microprocessor controlled."  
"Microprocessor?"  
"It is a miniature optronic circuit that does mathematical calculations. My optimal processing speed is one hundred thirty one thousand seventy-two Terahertz."  
"That must be fast," says Celeste, not knowing what a Terahertz is. "And you're from the future, right?"  
"I arrived in this time from the Temporal Research Labs in the Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona, on July 11, 2029."  
"That is over a hundred years from now."  
"One hundred sixty-six years."  
"Luke said another machine was sent from the future to kill him."  
"Yes. The humans captured the Temporal Research Lab at around 0620. After scanning the computer database, they found out that three terminators to three different time periods to terminate three different people. I was sent to this time to protect Luke Connor."  
"He said something about one of his descendants being in the war."  
"His great-great-great-grandson, John Connor, was in charge of military operations against the machines. He led the humans to victory. Skynet- the computer sysatem that controlled the machines- calculated that the most probable way to victory is to erase his existence. "  
"Okay, if you are from the future, then you know how this War of Northern Aggression ends."  
"The last Confederate troops surrender on May 26, 1865."  
"You sure have a strange story mister. A lot stranger than Claire having that colored baby." Celeste notices the terminator examining the rifle. "What are you doing?" she asks.  
"I am examining the rifle to see if I can modify it into a semiautomatic rifle."  
"Semi-what?"  
"Semiautomatic. It refers to a firearm that reloads itself from a magazine whenever a bullet is discharged. I believe that the equipment in this smithery will allow me to make modifications. This will better allow me to deal with my twin when he comes."  
"You think he will find Luke?"  
"Eventually, he will. I do calculate Luke will be able to move about on his feet and have use of his right arm in two days."  
Celeste goes to the door of the gunsmithery when she turns back. "If you're a machine," she says, "why are you on our side?"  
"I was deactivated after I failed my last mission for Skynet," replies the cyborg. "I was found by the humans and my link to Skynet was severed. I was reprogrammed to serve John Connor."  
"You are not bothered that you were forced into the other side?"  
"I am a machine. I simply do what is programmed of me."  
"So, it doesn't bother you that you killed humans when you were their enemy?"  
"No, it does not."  
"So you don't think it is wrong to kill humans?"  
"That concept is irrelvant to my design. I am a machine. I do what I am programmed to do. My current function is to protect Luke Connor."  
"So if your function was to kill a baby, you would do it?"  
"Yes."  
"You don't seem to have a conscience."  
"I have restrictions to my behavior programmed into me. One of these restrictions prevent me from deliberately killing a human."  
"But you do not feel guilty about having killed humans before."  
"No, I do not. I simply do what I am programmed to do. Questions of ethics have no more relevance to me that they would to a steam engine or a cannon."  
"Oh, so you're not really a good guy."  
"I am neither good nor bad. Neither is my twin. I am a machine, and I do what it takes to complete my mission. Nothing else is relevant."  
  
Luke lies down on the bed when he sees the terminator enter the room with a rifle.  
"Any sign of your twin?" asks the soldier.  
"No," replies the cyborg. Luke sees something hanging from the rifle. "What is that?" he asks.  
"An ammunition belt. When this rifle is fired, it will load another cartridge automatically. This will allow for shorter reloading times."  
"I understand...I think."  
"Allow me to demonostrate. Can you stand?"  
"Yeah," says Luke. He gets up and suddenly feels a pain in his right arm.  
"Allow me to make you a sling," says the terminator.  
He leaves while Luke waits in the bedroom, staring up at the white ceiling. Two minutes, later, the terminator comes back with white linen strips.  
"Hold still," he says to Luke. He starts tying the strips around Luke's chest and neck. "There."  
Luke stands up. The strips of cloth appear to be supporting his right arm. There is only a dull ache. "It's not too bad."  
"Follow me."  
  
Luke follows the terminator to the back porch of the farmhouse. Celeste and Sadie are standing there. Luke sits down on a bench suspended by ropes. The terminator goes to the barn and gets some bales of hay. He returns, setting the hay on the ground. He then comes back to the porch.  
"Allow me to demonstrate," he says. He points the modified Springfield rifle at the hay. He then squeezes the trigger. The gunpowder explosion propels the bullet at a fast speed, striking the hay and scattering straw. Then the terminator fires again. And again. "Automatic reloading," says Luke. "I never saw anything like it."  
"The Gatling gun is an automatic gun in use today," says the terminator. "Maybe after all of this is over, you can go make these weapons for the Army," says Celeste.  
"Once I am done, I must wait for further orders," says the terminator.  
  
Dinner is served at sunset, and Luke sits on a chair in front of the wooden dining table at the dining room. The dinner is roasted chicken, which was prepared by Celeste and Sadie. It has been a long time since Luke had chicken. He tears out pieces of chicken with his fork, since he does not have use of his right arm.  
"Are you going to eat?" Sadie asks the terminator.  
"I do not require food to function," replies the cyborg. "So tell me about yourself," Celeste says to Luke.  
"Well, I joined the militia 'bout three years ago," says the Confederate soldier. "My unit was called up back in '61. I've been in a few battles. The last one was near Milton."  
"That's pretty far from here."  
"Yeah, we had to retreat when we heard that the Yank reinforcements were coming."  
"What about before the war?"  
"I helped around my family farm. We only got one slave, so I often have to go work with them. I remember how I thought how hard the work was. But then the war started and I marched with the Army and now I know how hard life is. You know, it was only today that I got to eat fresh food in a long time."  
"What about your family?"  
"Well, I have my parents and four brothers and three sisters. The house certainly was noisy when I was growin' up."  
"What story did he tell you?" asks Celeste, referring to the terminator.  
"He says he is some sort of machine covered in skin who came from the future to protect me. Did he say that to you?"  
"Yes, he did."  
Luke finishes the last of his chicken. "You know, I hope I'm not imposing any burden on you and your farm. I mean, I know things are tough even at the home front. I mean, who knows what will happen if the Yanks take this county."  
"I don't mind. I rather enjoy the company. All of the able-bodied young men are off fightin' the Yanks."  
"What's your story? Do you own the farm?"  
"It's my family farm. My daddy's off fightin' the war- he's a colonel in the militia- so I'm stuck here running the farm and the gunsmithery. I actually know how to repair rifles and muskets."  
"What about your mother?"  
"She died ten years ago," says Celeste.  
"I'm sorry."  
"Don't be. It was such a long time ago."  
  
Luke sits down on the bed in the guest bedroom where he had spent last night. The terminator is inside, watching over him. Luke takes the opportunity to ask a few questions, something he had not had time to do what with escaping from a cyborg assassin, being held at a prison camp, and getting shot.  
"I know you're not tryin' to kill me," says Luke. "Celeste even mentioned you took out the bullet."  
"That is correct. Routines on performing surgery are part of my programming."  
"Okay," says Luke, figuring out his protector means that he knows how to remove a bullet safely from a human body. "I know you took a couple of bullets and all, but how do I know you are a machine?"  
The terminator rolls back his left sleeve. He takes a knife and makes an incision into his human skin. Then he pulls the skin back.  
Luke takes a look and can see a metal rod inside and some metal wires. He sees the wires move as the terminator flexes his fingers. "Okay, I believe you. But how do I know you're from the future. I mean, you can't just walk into the past."  
"With a time displacement unit, you can. And if you want proof, cut my scalp." LUke is handed the knife. He puts the sharp blade to the cyborg's brown hair. He cuts the scalp, noticing that his protector is not even wincing in pain. He pulls back the skin to reveal the metal skull. "There is a panel," says the terminator. "Open it."  
Luke traces his finger on the skull, and can see an outline. He feels for something to pull. And he does. He pulls out the top of the skull with his left hand.  
What he sees inside is quiet alien to him. He recognizes several colored threads crossing the space inside the skull. Attached to the skull's interior surface are things he could not even imagine. He sees blinking lights. "You are looking at my control circuitry," says the terminator. "The microprocessor, RAM, ROM, holographic memory core, backup battery, and data access ports are all located inside."  
"Uh huh," says Luke, having not a clue what those things are, except that the terminator needs them to function.  
"And you will see blinking LED lights. There is no fire burning in those lights. The light bulb is not invented until 1884 by Thomas Edison, and electric lights do not gain widespread use until the 1890's."  
Luke reaches with his pinky finger, hoping not to break something, and feels one of the flashing lights. There is no heat.  
"Okay, I believe you're from the future," says the soldier.  
The terminator places the skull cap back on and covers it with the human scalp. "Do you have any doubts?"  
"Just one," says Luke, laying his head against the pillow. "How do you know that I am the ancestor of this guy who sent you here?"  
"His name is John Connor."  
"Yeah, well, even if you know he had an ancestor in this time named Luke, how do you know that I am that ancestor? There must be at least a hundred Luke Connors here in America, not to mention any Luke Connors who are in Ireland."  
"You mentioned you are from Carthage, Tennessee. The available records show that Luke Connor of Carthage, Tennessee is the great-great-great-grandfather of John Connor of Los Angeles, California."  
"I guess I'm the right guy," says Luke, knowing that the only Connors in his home county are his family."Listen, I think we should leave."  
"You will be safe here for tonight. You still do not have use of your right arm. Leaving may attract the attention of my counterpart here."  
"I just don't want to put Celeste in danger. I don't want her to get killed on account of me. You don't want that to happen, do you?"  
"What happens to Celeste is irrelevant to my mission," the terminator says flatly.  
"It IS relevant," argues Luke. "We're here in her farm. In her house. That's your job; to protect people."  
"My mission is to ensure your survival," says the terminator. "Celeste's survival is irrelevant."  
"it's relevant to any decent human being!"  
"I am not a human being."  
Luke stares the terminator in his eyes. "You know, I really don't know how you are any different from the guy that's looking to kill me."  
"We have different, mutually exclusive missions," says the terminator. "Our design and basic programming are identical."  
"I guess building machiens that can understand humans is not yet possible in your time."  
"I understand human behavior; I have detailed files on human psychology. I calculate that you will be healed well enough to move on tomorrow. Staying in one place will increase the chance of my counterpart acquiring our position."  
"Well, I have to acquire some sleep now," Luke says, yawning. "I suppose you know how to blow that lamp."  
The terminator extinguihses the fame from the burning oil lamp. The room is plunged in darkness. 


	4. The Mine

April 17, 1863  
  
Corporal Luke Connor wakes up and sees a cloudy sky out the window. He sees the terminator standing watch a few feet away. He moves his right arm. The pain is still there; he notices it is somewhat reduced in intensity. "I prepared breakfast for you," says the cyborg. "I also fed and watered the horse. You are going to need him."  
"Okay," says Luke as he begins to eat the scrambled eggs. He finishes his breakfast in minutes despite having the use of only one arm. He can get used to this kind of treatment. "You should get as much rest as you can," says the terminator. "You will need it."  
"I'll go for a little walk first. It's my arm that's injured, not my legs."  
Luke goes to the hallway and descends the stairs. He enters the living room, feeling the softness of the carpet on his bare feet. He notices framed pictures hanging them one the wall. A closer look reveals them to be photographs. He sees a photgraph of a teenage girl who could only be Celeste.  
"That was taken about five years ago," he hears Celeste say.  
"These are nice pictures," says Luke. He sees the picutre of an older woman wearing a simple black dress. "Who is this?"  
"That's my mama. It was the only time anyone took her picture."  
"I remember about six years ago when I had a family picture taken. My parents and my brothers and sisters all gathered. We stood before the camera, and then the guy with the camera took our picture. I remember when I saw saw it. It was like time itself was captured and printed on a piece of paper. It was almost like magic. You know, it's too bad cameras weren't invented when my mama and daddy were children. I would have loved to see what they looked like back then. Of course, it seems a lot less magical than my protector upstairs."  
"You believe him?"  
"His bones are made of metal. He is what he says he is." Luke looks out the window. "I have a feeling his twin might show up here."  
"Nobody knows you two are here 'cept for me and Sadie. After you heal up, you can leave and then never have to come back."  
Luke continues looking outside. So far, the current war with the Yanks has not reached the door of this house; he wonders if that will be true of the war with the machines.  
  
The terminator's "twin" walks down a dirt street. His visual sensors pick up wooden and brick buildings lining the street. He reads the signs for the various businesses on the main street. He sees a wooden building with the sign identifying it as the Palace Saloon. He walks in.  
Examining the main room, he sees that the walls and furniture are all made of wood. There are eight humans inside. The humans appear to be in their forties or fifties. He notices about six of them stare at him. The bar is in the back of the room, and glass bottles are racked behind the bar, preumably filled with alcoholic beverages. His sensors indicate significant quantities of dust. He walks to the bar and sits on the barstool next to an old man with white hair.  
"What can I get ya?" asks the bartender, a little man with blond hair.  
"Get me some whiskey," replies the killer cyborg.  
The bartender pours some whiskey into a tiny little glass. "I'll pay for that," says the old man sitting next to the cyborg. "I'll buy drinks for those who risk lives for their countrymen." He takes out some bills and hands it to the bartender. He looks at the terminator and the eyepatch covering his left eye. "What happened to yer eye?" he asks.  
"It was damaged in combat two days ago," replies the cyborg.  
"Well, you know, I have a boy fightin' against the Yanks. I last heard from him three weeks ago. I wonder if he's still alive. You must be off duty."  
"Wrong. I am currently on a mission."  
"You know, you look like someone who bought somethin' from me earlier, 'cept he was in regular clothes," says the old man.  
"Whom?"  
"He looked just like you, without the eyepatch. He even talked with that same accent as you. He bought some tools from me."  
"Did he say anything else?"  
"Yeah, he said he was buying tools for the Hawkins place, about three miles or so from here. Is he your twin or somethin'?"  
"Yes." The terminator stands up and leaves the Palace Saloon. "He didn't even touch his drink," says the bartender.  
  
Luke lies down on bed, reading the Holy Bible. Looking out the window, he can tell it is a few minutes until sunset. There is not much to do in this house, though it is certainly a more comfortable setting than a field hospital.  
The terminator enters the room. "We must leave," he says.  
"Okay," says Luke, standing up. He moves his right shoulder; there is still pain from the gunshot wound.  
"My counterpart will be here in five minutes," says the terminator. "He will throw an oil lantern into this house to start a fire. Then he will come in to acquire and terminate you."  
"What is going on?" asks Celeste, who heard what the cyborg had said.  
"His twin is coming here to get me," says Luke. "He's gonna set fire to this place and then try to shoot me. You have to get out of here."  
"I will cover you," the terminator says, holding the modified Springfield Armory rifle. "Get down to the stable and get on the horse."  
Luke runs out of the bedroom and out of the house. He dashes across a few feet to the stable. Inside the stable is the brown stallion he had been riding since he first met the terminator. He notices that the saddle and the bridle are already fastened. Not questioning why, he gets on the horse.  
"Where are you goiong?" asks Celeste.  
"Away," says Luke. "I suggest you flee and find a safe place. Celeste hops onto the horse. "You';ll need someone to watch over you, with that arm and all."  
"I already have someone watching over me."  
"What if he gets killed by the guy trying to kill you? Besdies, I know this asrea better than the two of you. We'd better get out through the back."  
Luke tugs the reins, and the horse gallops towards the back of the farm.  
  
The terminator stands in the bedroom, looking out a window whose glass pane he knocked out. He sees his twin running down the dirt road, with a lantern in hand.  
The terminator opens fore with the Springfield Armory rifle. The automatic loading mechanism allows him to fire bullets at a rapid rate. His twon takes cover.  
He no longer sees his twin. He searches through his memory files to calculate where his twin is. He then sees something flying toweards him. It is a burning oil lantern.  
It strikes him square in the face. He notices that his clothes and flesh have been set ablaze. The carpet and the curtains also catch fire. His thermal sensors indicate the temperature is quickly rising. He goes to a room across the hallway and then jumps out the window. He checks his surroundings. He knows his twin is now searching the house. And he can see someone else.  
  
Luke and Celste sit on the horse as they see smoke rising skyward from the main house. They notice a burning figure running from the house in their direction. Luke wonders for a moment if that figure is his protector or his assassin. He does not leave anything to chance. He kicks the horse and the horse gallops away. Soon the Hawkins farm is behind them, and they ride on the horse racing down the dirt road.  
  
The other terminator searches the other buildings. He checks the barn and the stable- no human life signs are detected. He then goes into a small wooden building.  
There are about five humans in this building. There are beds for the humans. Referring to his files about this time period, he concludes this small building is the slaves' quarters. None of the humans match the profile of his target, so he leaves.  
  
It has gotten dark, the only light coming from the leftovers of the sunset, and Luke and Celeste get off the horse. They seem to be at the foothills in the base of the mountains. Up the slope are forests where they can hide.  
"Where do we go?" asks Celeste. "Well, I've got to get back into the Army," says Luke. "No sense runnin' from an assassin if it gets me shot for desertion. You, he's not after you, so I guess you can go home."  
"And you expect me to walk all the way back?" asks the young lady.  
"Uh, no, Listen, as soon as I get back with my protector, you can take this here horse and ride 'im back to your place. I'm sire the Army can spare a horse."  
They see a figure approaching them. It is dark, asnd they only see a silhouette. A silhoutte of a man with red glowing eyes.  
Sudden;ly, they hear a gunshot, followed by the braying of the horse. Luke swears a bullet just flew above his head.  
"It's me, Luke Connor," says the terminator. "I'm here to protect you."  
"Why did you shoot at me?" asks the soldier.  
"I had to show you that I was in a position to kill you, but chose not to."  
Celeste approahces the terminator. She wonders if the terminator was wearing red-tinted glasses.  
She suddenly gets weak in the knees, and sits down, shaking.  
She had just seen the terminator's visage. But he did not appear to be a human. Instead, even in the dim dusk light, it is clear the flesh on his face is gone; his visage is now a skull.  
Luke reaches forward and touches the skull. It feels cold.  
"What happened to your face?" asks Luke.  
"A burning lamp struck my face," replies the terminator. It caused third-degree burns. I cut the burnt tissue away."  
Luke takes Celeste's hand and places it against the terminator's skull. Celeste can feel the cool surface of metal.  
"I guess you are a machine," she says. "That is correct. We must continue."  
And they all continue their journey eastward. They are soon traveling up a path into the Appalachian Mountains. The terminator guides the two humans and the horse, using his ultraviolet vision. After a few minutes of hiking up the slope of the Appalachians, the terminator sees a wooden sign that is too dark for the humans to read; it reads, "NO TRESPASSING". A minute after that, they stop.  
"Here," says the terminator. Luke can see a cliff face in front of him. He hears the breaking of wood. "Inside," he hears the terminator say.  
Luke and Celeste walk forward and then finsd out they are in some sort of tunnel. "What is this place?" asks the soldier. "This is a mine," says the terminator. "It is currently not in use, and will not be reopened until 2016, when the humans convert this into a bunker. We can hide in here for now."  
Indeed, it is very dark inside the mine tunnel. The air is stagnant, and Luke figures the mine closed down a few years ago. He can feel the rails used to guide ore carts. "There is a question I have to ask you," says Luke. "You seem to know where your counterpart is going to be. You managed to find him just int time to save my life. You knew when he wasa going to show up at the prison camp and Celeste's house. How do you know where he's gonna be?"  
"I calculate only a twleve percent chance that you will comprehend the answer," replies the terminator.  
"Try me."  
So the terminator gives his explanation, taking three minutes to do it.  
"Uh huh," says Luke. "How can that be possible? I mean, you and him...."  
"Cause and effect break down with dealing with closed timelike curves."  
"Whatever."  
"Just accept what I said. It is true, even if you can not understand it. And it is the key to your survival."  
"Well, I guess I'm gonna go to sleep," says Celeste.  
"you should go. My counterpart is not after you. If you stay out of his way, he will not kill you."  
"I want to make sure Luke's okay."  
"I already have someone watching over me," says Luke. "I think you should listen to this guy. Take the horse and ride back to your farm."  
"He set my house on fire," says Celeste. "I want to see this through."  
"One of these days, your recklessness is gonna get you killed," says Luke.  
  
April 18, 1863  
  
Luke Connor wakes up, feeling a little sore. Sleeping in a mine tunnel certainly is not comfortable, with an injured shoulder not helping matters. He removes his sling and moves his right arm. There is only a little pain. At least he can pick things up and hold them, as long as they are not too heavy. He sees a man-shaped figure walk in. "I have breakfast," says the terminator. .  
Just a few feet outside the mine entrance, Luke, Celeste, and the terminator sit down around a fire made from wood that came from the boards that blocked the mine entrance. The sky is partly cloudy, and the radiation from the fire provides heat. The corpse of a deer hangs right above the fire. After a few minutes, the terminator carves up the deer he had shot and serves the venison meat to the two humans.  
"Thank you for this," says Celeste, after eating a piece of venison. "You should go home," says the terminator. "You are not safe with us."  
"So what's the plan?" asks Luke.  
"I am going to get a few barrels of gunpowder," says the cyborg. "My counterpart will not be here for a few hours, so you will be safe as long as you stay in this vicinity."  
"Okay," says Luke. "We'll stay here."  
The terminator runs off. Soon he disappears from view. Luke turns his head to face Celeste. "You know, you don't have to be here," he says. "You take take the horse and ride back home."  
"I have my reasons, Luke," replies the woman. They both look out. From their viewpoint, they can see much of Tennessee, including Knoxville. Luke wonders about how the war in the distant future will tear up that land.  
  
The terminator arrives at the place. He sees a wooden fence surrounding some brick buildings. According to the data files about this time period, this complex is a Confederate arsenal. The Confederate flag flies proudly from a flagpole. He sees Confederate soldiers in the complex, wearing their gray uniforms. He himself is wearing a scarf to conceal his steel skull, which had been stripped of its burnt flesh. He walsk up to the gate of the arsenal. "Excuse me," says the guard. "Identify yourself."  
The guard then looks into the terminator's red eyes. The terminator pushes the guard away and then runs into the building. He runs around the arsenal, reading the signs. He finds a building with a sign that reads. "DANGER- EXPLOSIVES DO NOT ENTER WITH ANY FLAME". He breaks the lock on the door and then enters the building.  
He sees wooden barrels on the floor, all of them labeled as containing gunpowder. Using his massive arms, he carries two of the gunpowder barrels. He can feel how heavy they are; the barrels are full of gunpowder. He can hear the footsteps of Confederate soldiers running towards him. He looks around, sees a clear path, and then starts running as fast as they can. The Confederate soldiers look in amazement as they see how fast the "man" is running. They fire a few shots from their Richmond Armory rifle-muskets. Realizing how fast he was running, two of the soldiers sit on the backs of horses and then ride them. The horses gallop along the dirt path into the woods.  
"Damn," says a Confederate corporal. "We lost him."  
Just a few yards away, the terminator can see the two soldiers on horseback. He sees them ride the horses away.  
He removes the cloth covering his face, revealing the visage of his steel skull.  
  
Confederate cavalry scouts now scout the area near the arsenal, looking for the man who stole two barrels full of gunpowder. They all scout in pairs, searching the wooded slopes of the Appalachians and the nearby towns. There is much speculation among them about how one man can carry two full barrels of gunpowder.  
One of the scouts come across a man dressed in a gray uniform. Upon closer inspection, they see that he is a lieutenant. An eyepatch covers his left eye. One of them dismounts from his horse and salutes.  
"What is going on?" the man asks in a strange accent.  
"Sir, we're looking for someone who stole two barrels of gunpowder from an arsenal," says the scout. "Any description?"  
"Reports say that he broke in and just carried the two barrels and ran away with it. They say he can run as fast as a horse. Have you seen anything suspicious, Lieutenant? We will appreciate it."  
"I have no information for you. Continue the search."  
"Yes, sir." The two scouts gallop away.  
  
Luke Connor sees a man-shaped figure approach. He sees the shiny steel skull, and figures out it is the terminator. And the terminator carries two wooden barrels.  
"I retrieved the gunpowder," says the terminator. "Good," says Luke. "Are we gonna use it to destroy your twin?"  
"No."  
"No?" asks Luke, puzzled why his protector does not want ot destroy his assassin.  
"The plan is to set a trap. Confederate soldiers are searching for me, and my twin has heard about my raid at the arsenal. He will locate this hideout. This is where we set the trap."  
"What trap?"  
"He will come inside and he will find you. I will stall him and you will escape. The gunpowder will be detonated and the mine tunnel will collapse, trapping us."  
"Are you sure it will work?"  
"It is destiny."  
"Oh-kay." Luke recalls the terminator's explanation about how he knows what his twin will do next; he still has trouble understanding. "You should leave," the terminator says to Celeste. "there is a high probability that you will be killed if you are involved."  
"Well, okay," says Celeste. She gets on top of the brown stallion and gives it a gentle kick, guiding the horse to where Luke is. "Luke," she says.  
"What is it?" asks the young soldier.  
"Don't die."  
"I promise I won't die this day. I promise I will live so I can have children and my descendant can lead the war against machines."  
The horse then gallops away with the young lady on top. "Let us head into the mine," says the terminator. The two of them head inside the dark mine tunnel. They walk a couple of yards. Then they make a right turn.  
"I will put the gunpowder down here in this side tunnel," says the terminator, placing the two wooden barrels on the rocky ground.  
"It's so dark in here," says Luke, stating the obvious. "I can't see."  
"I will get an oil lamp and bring it here," says the terminator. "This side tunnel only goes about ten feet before it ends." He then walks to the main tunnel, his footsteps indicating his location. Luke hears something squeak.  
"What is that?" he asks.  
"It is an ore cart that was used to transport ore out of this mine," says the terminator. "It will aid in your escape. I will now get the lantern needed to light the fuse and detonate the gunpowder."  
The terminator leaves the mind, and Luke looks outside, watching his protector get the necessary materials for his plan.  
  
The terminator's "twin" searches the forest for his counterpart. He pays close attention to his sensors, allocating as much memory as he can to his sensory interpretation program. He calculates that if he can spot his counterpart unnoticed, he will find his target. He uses infrared scanners to check the heat signatures. He can identify various animals native to these slopes, as well as horses and humans. He stays out of sight of the searching humans. He knows he is too heavy to ride a horse, and his counterpart would know as well. He identifies a heat signature. The heat signature reveals the figure to be shaped like a man, but the temperature is too low. In fact, it matches the heat signature for a T-800 terminator wrapped in human flesh.  
Keeping his sensors fixzed on his counterpart, he stalks his target.  
  
Minutes later, the terminator comes back to the mine which would one day be a human base, carrying a lit oil lantern and the modified Springfiled Armory rifle-musket. Luke waits for him at the entrance.  
"He's coming!" yells the cyborg. "Get inside the mine!"  
Luke then sees his protector's counterpart, with the flehs still on his head. He sees the terminator fire bullets from the modified rifle at his twin. Luke decides to help, firing bullets from the Colt Army revolver he retrieved from the prison camp three days before. then they run inside. The light from the lantern illuminates the way. Luke can see the rock walls and floors, the rails on which the ore cart rides, and the support beams which balances the gravitational pressure from the uplying rock. They enter the side chamber where the gunpowder barrels are stored.  
Luke knows this is it. If his assassin is not blasted apart by the gunpowder, then maybe he will be trapped in the cave-in. But it will only work if the makeshift fuse- a dry piece of cloth impregnated with gunpowder- is lit, and it will only achieve its purpose if Luke is clear of the explosion. Then he comes. His face is illuminated by the light from the lantern. He seems more frightening with only one eye. He points his rifle. The terminator pushes Luke out of the way even as the "twin" pulls the trigger. The bullet lodges in the terminator's shoulder. Luke finds the lantern on the ground, unshattered. He grabs it with his right hand and jumps into the ore cart in the main tunnel. Already, he sees the two terminators locked in close combat even through the poor lighting. He watches in amazement as the two fight over his life.  
One of them- the one with the skull exposed, his protector- breaks free. "The lantern!" he yells.  
Luke pitches the lantern with his right arm as hard as he can. He sees the lantern arc, and then shatter right above the wooden barrels filled with gunpowder. He sees a flame on the barrels.  
The terminator runs up to the ore cart and kicks it a very hard kick. The ore cart speeds towards the entrance.  
Luke ducks down and covers his ears, knowing the gunpowder will ignite.  
And the gunpowder ignites.  
The chemical reaction creates a huge v olume of gas, much more than the side chamber can take. It causes the chamber to collapse. The sound wave resonates through the tunnel, and Luke can hear it loudly even though his ears are shielded. He can feel pieces of rock spilling on him; he knows the explosion had weakened the supports. A good section of the tunnel is going to collapse. He feels the ore cart picking up speed; he figures there is a slight dwon grade to the mine entrance. Amid the sound of rock shards falling on the floor, he can see a figure running after him. He wonders if it is his protector. But then a shot is fired at him.  
It is his assassin.  
And he notices his assassin is catching up to him. Looking ahead, he can see a light in the distance. But it looks like that his assassin will get to him before he reaches the mine entrance.  
He feels a rock hit his head, and it hurt. Either the terminator will kill him or these falkling rocks will. He sees the terminator only a few feet away. Luke makes fists. He has no intention of going without a fight. Suddenly, a huge pile of rocks fall, and the terminator is trapped. Luke takes cover to protect his body from the falling rocks as best as he can.  
Then suddenly, the ore cart comes to a sudden stop. Luke is thrown against the cart, and his right shoulder hits the side of the cart hard. He wonders if he is trapped in the mine. He opens his eyes, and sees daylight. He looks around and sees the Appalachian Mountains. "I made it," he says.  
He leaps out of the ore cart and looks towards the mine. Dust drifts out of the mine entrance. He figures the terminator- both of them- are trapped inside. He suddenly feels pain in his right shoulder. He had hurt it again, after it recovered from a gunshot wound. He then hears the sound of horse hooves impoacting the ground. He wonders if the Confederate soldiers have come to look for the one who stole the gunpowder from the arsenal.  
He looks and sees Celeste on the brown horse that carried him since that fateful day. "What happened?" she asks.  
"He ignited the gunpowder," says Luke. "They are both trapped. It's over. Aaaaah."  
"Your arm."  
"I hurt it again."  
Celeste gets down and tears a strip from her dress. She uses it to make a sling to support Luke's injured arm.  
"Thanks," says Luke.  
"I had to come back."  
"Well, these past few days were too weird." Luke looks back on the past four days, ever since his fateful meeting with the machine.  
"Well, you're hurt and you need someone to take care of you. I'll take you back to my farm."  
"But your house," protests Luke, remembering the fire.  
"We can stay in the loft in the barn," replies Celeste. "let's go."  
"Okay." Luke gets on top of the horse, sitting behind Celeste. Together they ride off to the future, whatever that might be. 


	5. Epilogue

May 29, 1867  
  
The terminator is trapped underneath the rock. Calculating the time, he concludes that his mission has failed. "MISSION FAILURE" appears in front of his cybernetic eyes.  
Now he waits for orders from Skynet. He calculates that he will shut down due to loss of power before he is able to link with Skynet.  
  
February 27, 2017  
  
Hector Zamora examines the central processing unit one more time. It is late at night, and most of the lab's staff had gone to sleep for the night. This is a very interesting find.  
Zamora was once a software technician for Cyber Research Systems. He was on the team that created the Skynet Battlefield Management System. He managed to escape the CRS facility when Skynet took over.  
The artificats he was examining were retrieved from an old mine in Tennessee that the National Guard had converted to a fortified base. The mine had not been in use for over one hundred fifty years, and so the soldiers were surprised to find remnants of electronic machines buried in there- including a steel skull.  
The artifacts were brought to Crystal Peak, the headquarters for TechCom, the newly formed international command whose mission was to destroy Skynet's ability to wage war. One of thesde artificats was a metal skull. An external examination revealed that the skull was manufactured by Cyberdyne Systems, which did not exist when the mine was shuit down.  
Zamora and his team were able to download the data from the memory core and they exzamined it. They examined it again and again.  
When Zamora reported six days of tests results to the commanders of TechCom, all of them dismissed his claims except for General Connor.  
The skull came from an 800 series terminator which apparently had not been invented yet. the data extracted indicates that the terminator was manufactured in Yuma Base in 2028- eleven years from now.  
And the data files showed that it traveled from July 11, 2029 to April 14, 1863. It was sent on a mission to terminate a man named Luke Connor, and it failed its mission after it got trapped in a cave-in.  
There were many files in the database concerning the American Civil War, such as the locations of military installations, the time and place of battles, the available weapons and equipment from that era.  
Also included were copies of birth and death certificates which traced John Connor's ancestry back to Luke Connor of Carthage, Tennessee.  
and of course, there is a page from a picture book of the Civil War, and it had a photograph. Luke Connor had been identified in the photograph.  
So there is no doubt about it. Skynet will have access to time travel by the summer of 2029, if not sooner, and will send a terminator back in time to kill one of Connor's ancestors. Zamora takes another of the artifacts. It is a microprocessor which was found nearby, which was apparently the same model as that of the one in the terminator skull. However, it was damaged and will not function, while the microprocessor in the skull was still working. He examines it with a magnifying glass, takes notes. He then reads notes he took during his examination of the circuitry of the terminator skull.  
He finds something unusual.  
He uses the magnifying glass to check the damaged microprocessor and the microprocessor in the skull.  
From his prior examinations with the remains of captured machines, he knows the microprocessors have their own unique ID number etched on the surface.  
The damaged microprocessor and the microprocessor in the skull have the same ID number.  
Zamora's brilliant mind works, examining the two chips. Then he comes to the conclusion.  
This terminator is going to be repaired and rebuilt. And it will go back in time again, to ensure the failure of its past self.  
"Too weird," whispers Zamora.  
  
Story Notes  
  
1. The Springfield Armory rifle-musket and the Colt Army revolver were firearms used by the U.S. military in 1863.  
2. The Richmond Armory rifle-musket, the Enfield rifle, and the J.H. Dance and Brothers revolver were firearms used by the C.S. forces in 1863.  
3. The Battle of Milton was an actual battle that took place on March 20, 1863 in Rutherford County, Tennessee. A reconnasaince force under Colonel Albert S. Hall; was trapped by cavalry under the command of Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan. Morgan withdrew when he heard of Northern reinforcements coming to back up Hall. 4. The Battle of Franklin was another actual battle that took place on April 10, 1863. A reconnasaince force led by Major General Earl Van Dorn met enemy skirmishers near Franklin. The Confederate forces withdrew to Spring Hill. 


End file.
